Writing With A License To Thrill – Sean O’Leary

Photo: Sean O’Leary: Master Of Gritty Crime Fiction And Urban Noir

Setting The Scene For Thrilling Fiction

Sean O’Leary discusses his journey into crime fiction, creating complex characters, captivating settings, and his creative process behind works like The Neon City and The Bangkok Girl.

S ean O’Leary is a distinctive voice in crime and literary fiction whose works pulse with grit, action, and emotional depth. With over fifty published short stories and an impressive repertoire of novels and novellas, Sean has captivated readers with his uniquely Australian noir style, vivid settings, and fast-paced narratives. His talents extend to creating dynamic and flawed characters like Carter Thompson and Candy Wong, showcasing his versatility and fearless storytelling. Exploring cities from Sydney and Melbourne to Bangkok and Hong Kong, O’Leary’s work embodies a deep love of place, combined with an unflinching portrayal of human complexity. His latest works, including the gripping The Neon City and the soon-to-be-republished The Bangkok Girl, ensure O’Leary remains a must-read for lovers of authentic, compelling crime fiction.

Sean O’Leary expertly blends action, depth, and striking settings in his crime fiction, making him a standout contemporary author.

What inspired you to start writing crime fiction, and how did you develop your unique style?  

I started out writing literary short stories for Literary magazines, and I wrote a few crime stories that managed to get published in literary magazines, which is unusual. I always read a lot of crime books, so it went on from there. I’m a pantser, and writing crime tends to suit me. I like the visceral style, the violence, the sex and the crimes.

How do the settings of your novels, particularly Australian cities, influence your storytelling? 

My thriller ‘Going All the Way’ and my ‘Carter Thompson Mysteries’ are set mainly in Sydney but also in Melbourne. I have lived in both cities and know them well. But I think you can set a crime story anywhere as long as it adds to the story; sometimes cities become characters in the novel themselves.

“O’Leary’s The Bangkok Girl is a fascinating take on the classic PI novel. Exotic settings, a twisty plot, and a detective who carries a burden most of us will never understand.”—Reed Farrel Coleman, New York Times bestselling author of Blind to Midnight

Could you share more about the character development process for Carter Thompson? 

Carter Thompson starts out in ‘City of Sin’, the first book in the series, as a special investigator for the police. Special in that he has a license to pretty much do whatever he wants, both inside and outside of the law, as he gets results. But in the second book, ‘City of Fear’, he has left the police force and become a PI. He has affairs, takes drugs and again plays outside the law. In the third book, it begins with him working as a washed-up night manager in a seedy Bondi Motel. And this is life, the ups and downs, the highs and lows.

What kind of research do you undertake to ensure accuracy in the crime and investigative elements of your books? 

I do the necessary research to make it as accurate as possible, but setting is a major theme of my books, and I know Sydney and Melbourne well.

However, my new novella, ‘The Neon City’, is now available for pre-order on Amazon, and it is set in Hong Kong. The first time I went to Hong Kong, I loved I and knew I wanted to set a novel/novella there. And I went back about 5-6 times within twelve months, and while I didn’t write while I was there, I was making notes and choosing settings there for this thriller. Also, the main character is a female PI named Candy Wong. It was cool to write a kick-ass female character.

O’Leary seduces with a story as tantalizing as Thailand itself. P.I. Lee Jenson is a man with a past searching for a woman without a future. The more he looks, the more nothing seems to fit. The perilous trips through Bangkok’s underbelly of corruption and sex-trafficking to the Yakuza world of Japan and back will have you looking over your shoulder even while rooting for Lee. O’Leary delivers an exciting ride through the violence and vice of Southeast Asia with a satisfying payoff. –Phillip Thompson, best-selling author of NOT DEAD ENOUGH. 

How do you balance the fast-paced action with emotional depth in your stories? 

I’m more inclined to just power on through with action, and if I need to show any kind of emotion, I do it through dialogue and show rather than tell.

What can readers expect from your new crime novel, ‘The Bangkok Girl’? 

The Bangkok Girl was published in 2025, but there was a problem, and it will be republished in 2026 with Next Chapter Publishers. Once again, I travelled to Bangkok many times to get the settings right, and the story is told through Lee Jenson, an Australian PI located in Bangkok, but he is an outsider, a stranger in a strange land, and that is how the point of view is told.

How has translating your novels into Spanish and Portuguese affected your reach and readership? 

First of all, it was a terrific thrill when my publisher, Next Chapter, told me about it. And that’s what it is for me. I hope to sell books in the countries where these languages are spoken, but most of all, it’s a thrill. A compliment to the writing.

What advice would you give to new writers attempting to create compelling crime series? 

One of my favourite crime writers is the Australian Peter Corris, who wrote crime novels featuring his PI, Cliff Hardy. Hardy was shown over many years, and he changed significantly, as did the city of Sydney, where the books are set. Garry Disher, another Australian writer, writes a crime series featuring his criminal, Wyatt. The changes with Wyatt are subtle. He’s a hard man who doesn’t change much and lives by a code; this is equally enthralling but different from the Corris books. And I would love to write a series featuring a criminal rather than a cop or PI.

“With The Neon City, Sean O’Leary delivers a tough, fast-moving Hong Kong PI story anchored by a standout heroine in Candy Wong. The action comes hard, the stakes stay urgent, and the ride builds toward a finish that’s genuinely satisfying. If you like crime fiction with bite and momentum, this one’s for you.” —Douglas Corleone, bestselling author of Falls to Pieces

How do you recommend aspiring authors find their voice in the crime and literary fiction genres? 

I think you have to read as much as possible, and even if you start out writing in a similar way to other writers, I think, if you keep writing, you will find your own voice. And, it is not just reading either, films are wonderful to get story ideas from. You can see character arcs and twists, and plot turns.

What techniques would you suggest for crafting realistic and well-rounded characters in writing? 

I think just be true. Hemingway (whom I am in no way comparing myself to) said, just write one true sentence.

What strategies do you use to overcome writer’s block and maintain a consistent writing routine? 

I don’t get writer’s block.

How important is it for authors to engage with their readers, and do you have any tips for building that connection?

Doing interviews like this is a pretty good way to do it. Also, getting on Goodreads and social media. I also do a series of interviews with crime writers on my FB page, and that’s a great way to connect with people.